1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as a printer that collectively transmits and receives job data, and particularly, to an electronic apparatus that conducts an authentication process and transmits/receives data of only an authenticated job. The present invention also relates to a method of authenticating and receiving job data and a recording medium containing a job data authentication-reception program.
2. Description of Related Art
Needs for security functions for printers are increasing. Whenever printers transmit or receive print data, it is required to carry out authentication.
A related art for achieving the security of a printer sets print conditions for each port of the printer and asks a user to select proper ones from them, thereby allowing the user to easily control the printer. Another related art employs a printer server to set print conditions for ports of printers connected to the printer server. Each of these related arts assigns fixed conditions or attributes to each printer port, and therefore, is not always safe.
There is a related art that, when transmitting security-required data from an information terminal to a printer, encrypts the data and transmits the encrypted data to an encryption-dedicated port of the printer. When transmitting normal data, the related art transmits the data as it is to a normal port of the printer. Although the printer is provided with the encryption-dedicated port as a secure print port, this related art is unsafe because it allows every user to print any document (even if it is confidential) via the normal port of the printer.
There is another related art that employs a single port to carry out authentication and transmission/reception of job data. This related art has a problem that a job authentication must be suspended during transmission/reception of job data.